Hazy orange/copper color. A few tiny bubbles streaming from the bottom of the glass. Thick off-white pillowy head. Good retention, and nice patches of lace left on the glass. Grassy, citrusy aroma. Malt flavor is a bit weak, then followed by a big amount of grassy, citursy hops. Very bitter. Malt character is lost. As mentioned before, very aspirin-like in the finish. Slightly warming, medium body. I think this malt/hop combo doesn't work as well as others, as this is somewhat overwhelming. (495 characters)

Poured from 22 oz bottle into pint glass.A: Pours a clear golden color with high carbonation producing a 2 inch white head. Some retention.S: Pine, citrus, and grainy hops.T: Loads of pine, citrus, and bitter grainy hops. Hint of malt...not well balanced.M: Light feel. Soft and oily at first, then bitter and dry finish.D: A decent brew, but certainly not up to the typical offering from Stone. (400 characters)

Pours a slightly cloudy golden orange color with about an inch of white head that leaves nice lacing behind.

Aroma is a nice mix of citrusy hops and caramel malts. Transitions nicely between the two.

Flavor is along the same lines as the scent. Spicy hit up front from the hops with a sweet caramel taste in the middle. Lasting hop bite and bitterness on the back of the tongue. Not sure where it is coming from (I no longer smoke) but I get a faint tobacco flavor also.

Medium body with average carbonation.

I only picked up one bomber of this during my travels but I don't think I would grab one over something else I like if I see it again. That tobacco flavor is getting stronger in the aftertaste. Am I the only one who noticed this? (751 characters)

Appearance is a hazy golden orange with a large frothy white head. The aroma is of grapefruit, hops and a hint of wheat and yeast. Its flavor starts off with grapefruit and citrus then moves into a mellow wheat taste, then finishes with hop bitterness. It is quite interesting, though I did not expect an APWA to taste like this.
Medium in body and a bit oily. Good, though I dont think I will seek out another. (414 characters)

Tried this on tap at the 11th anniversary and then out of the bottle last sunday at winter storm. I think I am going to go against the grain with this one. It was a decent/good beer but it was very mild and not overly impressive.

The appearance was a bit hazy and reddish (almost a bit orange in the light). The color was neat but the lack of head and clarity were a bit distracting. This goes for both bottle and keg.

The smell was nice but very mild. I'd say even milder than the 8th anniversary. It was sweet and fruity but not from actual fruits. I'd guess it comes from the dark malts they use, probably similar to the ones used in the arrogant bastard. If you tried this beer recently and have ever tried an aged double bastard you'll know what I'm talking about. There was also the slightest touch of hop aroma here.

The flavor was very soft and pleasant. Here I could taste more of the fruity flavors that were noticeable in the aroma. There was a little hop flavor and bitterness but its diminished over the past couple of years. There was really no alcohol flavor to speak of which was nice, but there wasn't any kind of bite either.

Overall a very smooth very drinkable beer but lacking in some areas. (1,219 characters)

Bottle: Poured a clear golden color ale with a huge pure white creamy and foamy head with good lacing and retention. Aroma of citrus hops is quite dominant but also enjoyable. Taste is quite different from other beers Ive tasted before and can be describe like a wheat Indian ale. Dominant citrusy hops over a light wheat base beer. Very interesting concept that could have been even more interesting if the beer had been less dominant on hops. (446 characters)

appearance: The pour creates a moderate, off white head in the snifter. The beer is a slightly hazy, pale copper/amber color.

smell: Up front there's a big resinous hoppiness and plenty of tropical fruit. Nice mango, pineapple, orange, and sugar cookie aromas. Hop oriented, but with enought malt to keep it interesting. Smells most like a DIPA to me.

mouthfeel: The carbonation smooth, between medium and low. The body is just slightly less than medium.

taste: The hops seem like the dominant flavor, but there is just enough light maltiness to keep them in good balance. All of the flavors are subtle, yet the combine to form a good flavor. The malt character is light. A green, leafy, resinous...yet well conserved...hop bitterness starts just after the swallow and continues into the dry finish.

drinkability: definately full of character, and drinkable

Enjoyed half a 22oz. courtesy of dirtylou during my visit in Madison. The other half of the bomber met with a less than noble fate. (1,005 characters)

nose..
piney hops, citrus towards grapefruit.. yeah, amarillo hops, some of the alcohol is detectable if you really pry, not an explosively nice citrus smell like say 3Fs Gumballhead which is much more pleasant but this is nice enough, there is a slight dry moldy smell in there too, not sure how to mail the descrip on that aspect.. like the look it is not bad but not great.

taste etc..
the carbonation floats this one nicely across the bow of the mouth, some nice prickly sensation going on, not too bitter at all, but a nice little bitter after taste, there is a touch of cloying quality to this that makes me pucker on some sips... this takes away from the overall enjoyment. This isn't a hop monster but the ABV really does a courtsy in the stomach..I can feel that somnabitch warming my feet practically. Pretty light in the mouth and smooth, easy drinking.

verdict?
nothing special for a 9th anniv beer... not bad but nothing I will go out of my way to ge again (1,336 characters)

This poured to a bright yellow and gold with a medium head that lasted fairly well. It left some nice lace too.

The smell is full of hops and nothing else. The taste is has a light malt profile but hops quickly take over. The mouthfeel is very sharp, while drinkability takes a hit for lack of balance although the alcohol remains hidden.

This kind of makes me think of an Arrogant Bastard without the hefty malt content. The hops could definitely use a stronger supporting cast. (485 characters)

Taste is dominated by grapfruit hop pineyness and spice character. Some balancing with sweet malt. Alcohol is present but it doesn't distract. Finish is quite dry with lingering bitter and orange flavor.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and very carbonated.

Overall this brew makes me think of an APA. Quite full of citrus hop character. Stone is such a great brewery. However, I feel that this one is a bit sharp and one dimentional for my taste. (580 characters)

Pours red and golden with an enormous dish soap head with small dots of lace on the glass.
Aroma of citrus, little bit of caramel and a perfumy, slightly soapy aroma.
Flavor of dark citrus, a little bit of dark malt and a hint of mediciney alochol.
Mouthfeel is sort of dry and somewhat abbreviated. Not unpleasant just rather bland.
Drinkability is very average. Easily the least attractive Stone brew that I've had. I'll chalk it up to being very young for the style but just doesn't seem to have the depth of character that I expect from Stone products. (560 characters)

Taste: Lots of amarillo? hops up front. Light sweetness. Some bitterness, but not as much as I was expecting with the aroma. Not really that complex. The taste has one or two punches that don't really blend.

I'd give this a try. It's a tastes ok, and the hop flavor is interesting, but I'll probably not have another bomber. (482 characters)

Pours a good looking bright tangerine color with a tiy bit of a brownish hue. Thin why'd head and some lacing. Nose brings forward some sweet caramel along with a bit of citrus rind. Taste is about he same without much sticking out. I would say this is past its prime. Feel is okay with a medium body and some carbonation to carry what flavors there are. Drinks okay, but I think this one is done. (419 characters)

Pours a pale brown-gold, with roughly an inch of creamy white head that has some lasting power. Nice lacing upon settling.

Aroma:

Stone is known for their intense aromas, and this one doesn't fail to disappoint: smells like freshly juiced grapefruit, and pine essence, with a touch of fresh bread.

Taste/Mouthfeel:

Fairly one dimensional at first, with mind numbing, palate killing intense hop (amarillo) bitterness. There is some sweetness towards the end, which is followed by a warming alcohol presence. Finish is long and dry, and not entirely pleasant. This is the same style as their famous Arrogant Bastard (the only Stone I don't like), and while this doesn't have the flavor of AB, I still don't like. (812 characters)

Pours a very clear, golden, copper color. Very fluffy, bright white colored head. Excellent head retention. Tons of sticky lacing, coating all sides of the glass. Good citrusy, hop smell combined with an even amount of malts. Hints of pepper, yeast and a slight biscuity smell. Taste mimics the smell, lots of hops and malts, followed by pepper and finishes very bitter. Medium bodied, smooth but leaves a funky grainy feeling in the mouth and on the teeth. Overall, not a bad beer, but my least favorite from Stone, so far. Hopefully their 10th anniversary ale will be much better. (642 characters)

Stone 9th Anniversary Ale is a little hard to classify. It's pretty much an IPA with wheat and just enough malt to edge it over into the strong ale style.

The pour is clear orange/gold with a creamy head. The noise is much like a big IPA with orange peel (not in the way witbiers use fresh and zesty orange peel), dried apricot and a pinch of herbs. The flavor is pretty much the same, although the apricot trumps the orange. The impending bitterness has a spicy bite and it gets an earthy, malty backing. The carbonation is solid and I didn't get nearly as much over-the-top alcohol flavor as some of the other reviewers. Balance was never one of Stone's goals, neither was keeping within traditional style guidelines and this one is no exception. I'll give them an "E" for effort right now. Hopefully the earthy, herbal flavors will calm down and mature with age. (869 characters)

Very nice aroma of sweet malt and hops. Scent of grapefruit/citrus.
First taste has a suprisingly sweet citrus fruitiness to it.

There is somthing in there that tastes like bubblegum to me.

Strong bitter finish that sticks to the palate.

Kind of a roller coaster of a beer, at first sweet and a rather bitter finish making it a little confusing on my palate.

Strong flavors, not the most drinkable of beers, It tasted much better to me at the 9th festival. I don't think I could pound these all night long, but it has a very unique taste to it if you're in the mood for somthing different.

It looks good and smells good but it doesn't taste or sit in the mouth as well. It pours a cloudy yellow-orange with some sediment floating around beneath a small white head. The smell is dominated by the piney oily hops, I can feel the oils in my nose after a deep inhale. The taste is a little peppery and then a good bitter kick. The body is oily and it leaves a chalky residue on my teeth. I am a bit bummed from this beer; I thought it would be better. I just didn't like the chalky aftertaste, it really turned me off from this beer. (539 characters)

Light orange, dense white head with good retention and lace. Nose has plenty of fruity oxidation, with golden raisins, plums,candy and a little citrus. Palate has a lot of oxidation with raisins, plum,cardboard and almost fatty, rancid mouthfeel. Flabby and loose, the finish is sweet with fruity oxidation. Medium in body with moderate carbonation , this decent. (408 characters)

Pours a mostly clear ornag color with a one inch frothy head that slowly settles to a thin spotty cap and thick ring, and leaves a very nice looking web of lace.

Smell; smells strongly hops with grapefruits and oranges, and some other fruits that I can't quite place (maybe apricots?). There's a pretty good malt presence in the nose to go along with the hops.

Taste; strong alcohol notes hit right away. Bitter hops with some sweet grapefruit and oranges following. This has a petty solid malt backbone to counter thos hops some. I just wish the alcohol didn't have such a pronounced presence in the flavor. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and to syrupy for me, and the drinkability takes a big hit due to the alcohol taste. (727 characters)

Overall, this is still a solid strong ale. I know that Stone was going for something lighter than their usual anniversary IPA with this one. They succeeded, but I wish I knew what it tasted like when fresh. (579 characters)

22oz Bomber.
Pours out a clear orange/yellow with a small, quickly evaporating head.
Aroma is fruity and piney.
Flavor is pine and grapefruit pith with some malty sweetness. Wheat is there, but barely detectable.
Grapefruity tingle on the finish. Kind of like a watered down Ruination. (290 characters)

Meh. Stone has been a hit-or-miss brewery for me. This beer falls within the near-miss catagory. I mean, it isn't bad, it just isn't good. It looks nice, like an old penny. It smells, well, like a beer -- malt, an assertive amount of hops, with a strong alcohol back.
The taste follows the smell, it tastes, well, like a beer. I mean that in the most generic way possible. I could had this to any BMC drinker, they'd have a sip and say, "Yup. It's a beer". I guess, there just isn't anything special about it. Mediocre through and through. Hops are present, but not really 'doing' anything. Malt is the same way, it's there, just not special or unique. It is also pretty overcarbonated.

If I wanted a beer like this, I would have gotten a nice clean lager. It would have done the job much better. (801 characters)

22 oz bottle date 9/05. Pours a yellow-orange with a big fluffy white head that lasts forever and laces the glass. The second pour from the bomber some yeast floaties.

The aroma is caramel malts with floral, grapefruity, piney hops. It's awesome at first (9), but as it warms it becomes more floral, peppery and medicinal.

The flavor is sweet malts followed by a large but rather subdued floral/grassy hop bitterness with notes of melon. As it warms, peppery medicinal alcohol comes out. The mouthfeel is smooth and velvety with a sticky bitterness.

Overall, it tastes like a decent mellow IPA. It reminds me some of Rogue's Brutal Bitter. As I go through the bomber, I like it less and less. (701 characters)